by Madelyn Carter| Co-editor-in-chief
An important aspect of college life to many students is Greek life. Sororities and fraternities supply kids with social events and a community to be a part of for life. The San Antonio Sorority Panhellenic forums are just around the corner, an opportunity for girls to get prepared for rush in college.
“Sorority women are campus leaders, top scholars, and future leaders in society,” recruitment chairman of the SA Panhellenic, Ferne Burney said.
Sororities are more than just a social group, to be in it, most affiliations have to maintain the GPA set by the house.
“My best grades came after I joined a sorority,” Burney said. “It is the most important aspect of sorority participation.”
“[Sororities] provide not only friendship, but support academically with tutoring and such,” senior Natalie Hays, who plans to rush at Texas State, said.
While influencing the lives of collegiate women, sororities also make an impact on the community.
“[Sorority life] helps establish a spirit of giving as each of the groups has a philanthropy and each collegiate chapter works to contribute to that philanthropy,” Burney said.
Being in a sorority can open doors that would’ve been more difficult to open. Special education teacher Ruth Kimmell pledged Kappa Kappa Gamma at The University of Maryland.
“I had a social life right away, it gave me a good network,” Kimmell said. “Once I graduated, there was still that network. It’s like a sisterhood, like instant friends.
Some sororities are religiously based and provide young women with fellowship.
“My sorority is highly Christian based so it has helped my relationship with the Lord and with being a disciple of His Word,” alumni Megan Hinojosa, Chi-O at UT said.
Spending so much time with each other, the friendship of sorority sisters can be unmatched.
“[My sorority sisters and I] could play tricks on each other and laugh more heartily together because we had a bond of friendship that is different from any other,” Burney said.
“My mother, and all of her sisters were in various sororities,” Hays said. “Even after graduating from college, they have kept in contact with the girls they met within their sororities.”
For senior girls interested in rushing in college, the San Antonio Panhellenic forums will be held February 21, at Incarnate Word and March 5 at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, each at 6:30.
“The forum is a gathering for senior girls interested in participating in recruitment activities and joining a sorority on their chosen campuses,” Burney said. “We will be presenting information about recruitment, and most importantly, how to register with Panhellenic in order to obtain those important reference letters.”
